On CNN-IBN, panel discussion with Goodwill Ambassador Sania Mirza

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia, Sania Mirza and UN Women Representative, Dr. Rebecca Tavares, participated in a panel discussion on International Women’s Day on CNN-IBN’s special show, ‘She Rocks’. The show saw experts discuss women’s empowerment while also raising important issues related to gender equality. Speaking on the issue, Ms. Tavares highlighted the importance of economic independence in creating a sense of autonomy and individual agency in women. She also spoke of need to change attitudes and behaviours in the family, and in schools. Ms. Mirza drove the point home, talking about her own family and childhood, and how she and her sister were never made to feel they were inferior to boys.

“We are not fighting against a person or what a rapist is saying or what a molester is saying. We are fighting against a mindset where not just men but also women believe they are inferior. That is where the problem lies,” she said.